Children and Family Futures provides training and technical assistance to consortiums or states to improve outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women and their infants with prenatal substance exposure for optimal bonding, health, and well-being. These supports include:

• Provision of resources and education on current recommendations and best practices related to the treatment and care of infants and their families affected by substance use
• Development of tools for collaboration and integrated case planning across the service continuum, including Plans of Safe Care required by federal legislation
• Review of tools, practice guidelines, and policy related to infants with prenatal substance exposure and their families to provide insight from the fields of substance use treatment, health care, child welfare and early intervention
• Connections to experts and peers across the country to share what is working in their fields and jurisdictions

Prenatal exposure to alcohol, tobacco, and drugs may cause a spectrum of physical and developmental challenges, such as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Infants with prenatal exposure to opioids may experience Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, a treatable pattern of effects that are associated with opioid withdrawal in newborns. If a parent’s substance use disorder is not addressed with appropriate treatment and long-term recovery support, the infant and family may also experience ongoing challenges in safety, permanency, and well-being. The unique intersection of pregnancy and substance use creates a need for a collaborative approach bringing the expertise of many health, substance use treatment, child welfare, and early childhood providers to address the multifaceted needs of the mother, infant, and family.